2017-2018 Resource & Relocation Guide

Illinois

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Table Of Contents

Skyline Publishing

Project Coordinator: Rusty Pusey

Ad Designer: Jeremy Newell

Book Designer: Asha Bohannon

18 Home Buyer Information

21 Buyer Mistakes

23 How Much Can You Afford

25 Tips to Selling Your Home

26 Packing Tips

27 Moving Checklist

28 Homefinder Notepad

4-5 Newcomer Information

6 Help Hotlines

7 Health & Hospitals

8 Local Education

11 Things To Do

12 State Information

13 County History

14-15 Coles County Map

16-17 Mattoon City Map

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InformationNewcomer

Charleston Public Works(217) 348-0824

Humboldt Water Department(217) 856-2205

Mattoon Water Department(217) 235-5483

Ameren(800) 755-5000

Coles-Moultrie Electric Co.(217) 235-0341

AT&T(217) 615-3886

Mediacom(855) 633-4226

Verizon(217) 345-1222

Post Offices

Courthouse

Utilities

US Post Office513 Main St.Lerna, IL(800) 275-8777

US Post Office667 Windsor Rd.Charleston, IL(800) 275-8777

US Post Office120 N. 15th St.Mattoon, IL(800) 275-8777

US Post Office256 E. 6th St.Neoga, IL(800) 275-8777

US Post Office4 N. Pike St.Oakland, IL(800) 275-8777

US Post Office103 W. Ashmore St.Ashmore, IL(800) 275-8777

Coles County Courthouse651 Jackson Ave.

Charleston, IL

(217) 348-0521

Coles County Sheriff - 701 7th St.Charleston, IL - (217) 348-7332

Ashmore Fire 202 S Illinois S.Ashmore, IL(217) 349-8433

Charleston Fire 1510 A St.Charleston, IL (217) 345-2133

Mattoon Fire 1812 Prairie Ave.Mattoon, IL (217) 235-0931

Police FireCharleston Police614 6th St.Charleston, IL (217) 348-5221

Mattoon Police1710 Wabash Ave.Mattoon, IL(217) 235-5451

Stanley Home Products/Fuller BrushNorma Taylor, Group LeaderContact Me For Products and To Be A Representative. Free CatalogsAuthor "Sixty Years In This Wicked World For Nuthin"Working on Forty More Years in This Wicked World

Featuring:

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Health & Hospitals

Dial 911for Emergencies

Coles County

Public Health

825 18th St. #1

Charleston, IL

(217) 348-0526

Arthur Medical Center

650 W. Columbia

Arthur, IL

(217) 543-3869

Carle Convenient Care - Mattoon on Hurst

2512 Hurst Dr.

Mattoon, IL

(217) 258-5900

Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center

1000 Health Center Dr.

Mattoon, IL

(217) 258-2525

SIHF Healthcare

700 Broadway Ave. #39

Mattoon, IL

(217) 234-3091

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Local School Districts

Colleges & Universities• Current Immunization Record & Birth Certificate • Name & Address Of Last School Attended

• Last Report Card & Any Scores Obtained From Standardized Tests

When Registering Your Children For School, Please Remember To Bring:

Eastern Illinois University

600 Lincoln Ave.

Charleston, IL

(217) 581-5000

Lake Land College

5001 Lake Land Blvd.

Mattoon, IL

(217) 234-5253

Arcola CUSD 306

(217) 268-4963

Arthur CUSD 305

(217) 543-2511

Casey-Westfield CUSD 4C

(217) 932-2184

Charleston CUSD 1

(217) 639-1000

Kansas CUSD 3

(217) 948-5174

Mattoon CUSD 2

(217) 238-8850

Neoga CUSD 3

(217) 895-2201

Oakland CUSD 5

(217) 346-2555

Sullivan CUSD 300

(217) 728-8341

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Coles County

Ashmore Estates22645 E. County Rd. 1050 N.

Ashmore, IL (217) 512-9499

Charleston SpeedwayRR 16

Charleston, IL(217) 345-2929

Coles County Modified Midget Racing10743 E. County Rd. 900 N.

Mattoon, IL (217) 348-8035

Coles County Dragway USA4700 W. State St.

Charleston, IL (217) 345-7777

Douglas-Hart Nature Center2204 Dewitt Ave. E.

Mattoon, IL (217) 235-4644

Dudley House Museum895 7th St.

Charleston, IL (217) 345-2934

Fox Ridge State Park18175 State Park Rd.

Charleston, IL (217) 345-6416

Greenwood School Museumat Eastern Illinois University

800 Hayes Ave.Charleston, IL

(217) 345-2934

Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum416 W. Madison Ave.

Charleston, IL(217) 348-0430

Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site402 S. Lincoln Highway Rd.

Lerna, IL (217) 345-1845

Lytle Park 500 32nd St.Mattoon, IL

(217) 234-2464

Mattoon Peterson Park500 Broadway Ave.

Mattoon, IL(217) 234-3611

Moore Home State Historic SiteS. 4th St./ S. Lincoln Highway Rd.

Lerna, IL(217) 345-1845

Morton Park 1215 Division St.

Charleston, IL(217) 345-4812

Tarble Arts Center atEastern Illinois University

2010 9th St.Charleston, IL

(217) 581-2787

.....and more!

IllinoisI llinois, the “Prairie State”, gets its popular name from having a broad, level landscape. Located in the heart of the Midwest, the fertile soil andlong growing season make it an important agricultural state. Its the leading producer of soybeans and corn. Also grown in large quantities are wheat, oats, barley, rye and sorghum.Important to Illinois’ economy are hogs, pigs and cattle. Because manufacturing is more important than farming to the state, Illinois is also a major industrial state, and their productsinclude electronic equipment and chemicals. Chicago, the largest city in Illinois, is a major center for rail and truck transportation, as well as for the Great Lakes shipping traffic. It is also home of O’Hare Airport. During the 1800’s and early 1900’s Illinois’ factories and stockyards were the workplaces where many of America’s labor unions were first formed. The Mississippi forms the western border of the state from Galena to Cairo in the south.Prehistoric inhabitants have left evidence that there have been dwellers on the plains since 4000 B.C. A period of burial mound buildings were formed after 1000 B.C. One of the largest Native American mounds in the country, Monk’s Mound, is located in the southwest near St. Louis. The name “Illinois” comes from the tribe that called themselves Illiniwek or “superior men”, which once resided in the area. In the early 1600’s, French fur traders were the first Europeans. Springfield, which is located near the center of the state, was the home of a young lawyer, congressman and finally president, Abraham Lincoln. His remains lay in a tomb in the town cemetery. A state park in the village of New Salem honors his time there as a storekeeper, law student and surveyor.

The Chicago skyline is a sight to see, as its skyscrapers give dimension to the vast night sky. Birthplace of the skyscrapers,Chicago is the third-largest city in the United States. This city iswidely known for having some of the tallest buildings, which include The Willis Tower, as well as The John Hancock Building,The Ion Tower, and the The Trump International Hotel and Tower,all of which rank in the top 10 in the world.

Illinois NativeViolet

White Oak

Cardinal

State Symbols

FUN FACTSCapital

SpringfieldArea

57,914 sq. mi.(149,986 sq. km)

Population12,653,554 (2004)

Largest CitiesChicago (9,333,511)

Peoria (365,995)Statehood

December 3, 1818Rank: 21st

Principal RiversMississippi, Ohio,Illinois, WabashHighest Point

Charles MoundMotto

State Sovereignty,National Union

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Coles County History

No permanent settlements were in Coles County prior to 1820. This was because the

treaty with the Native Americans relinquishing their title to the area was not made until

1818 and because as late as 1820, there were still battles between Indians and government

surveyors in the Wabash River valley. Settlements began to fill up the interior of Illinois

with migration, after the Native American threat had been squelched.

Many pioneers migrated West through Coles County, most coming from Indiana and

Kentucky. A second factor determining settlement of Coles County was its topography. In

contrast to areas to its North and West, Coles County was located

where two major rivers drained the County. Along the rivers and their

tributaries were forests. Groves were scattered throughout the

County. Surrounding the wooded areas, primarily in the

Northern and Western parts of the County, was a broad, flat

prairie. This land was wet and swampy and was not drained for

cultivation until the last half of the century.

Coles County was established on Christmas Day, 1830, and was

named for Edward Coles, Governor of Illinois in 1822.

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Coles County

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Mattoon

1918

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Can You Afford?House How much you can afford is determined by a relatively simple formula. Lenders generally figure that no more

than 28 percent of your income should be for total housing costs. In addition, they require that your total monthly

debt be less than 36 percent of your income. (Note: These are general numbers. Other loan programs may allow

higher percentages.)

For example, if you make $48,000 a year, divided by 12 months, your monthly income is $4,000. (Remember,

that’s $48,000 in gross pay, before federal and state taxes are removed.) Twenty-eight percent of $4,000 is $1,120.

That is the most you can make in a monthly mortgage, taxes, and insurance payments.

Generally, to qualify, the self-employed buyer must have been self-employed in the same line of work for at least

24 months before applying for a loan. Lenders use your net income, the figure at the bottom of schedule C of your

federal income tax form, to decide how large a mortgage you can carry. But they don’t look at what you earn now

or what you made last year. Rather lenders figure the monthly average of your income over the past 24 months.

Also, overtime pay & bonuses sometimes may not be figured into your average income.

Don’t forget that points, closing costs & other out-of-the-pocket expenses probably will come out to about

one percent of the mortgage amount.

How much

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Packing StrategiesSupplies:

Packing for efficiency:

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Preparing to move:A strategy for packing:

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2017-2018 Resource & Relocation Guide

Illinois